sneak peek: jennifer sarkilahti of odette

When Jennifer Sarkilahti first launched her jewelry line, Odette, she worked out of this Williamsburg, Brooklyn apartment that she shares with her husband, Steve. It’s easy to see the connection between her jewelry — inspired by organic shapes, natural specimens and her travels — and this apartment; both are airy, organic and highly personal. The building is a fairly new construction, so Jennifer added some character by layering objects with a bit of patina and surrounding herself with natural pieces like driftwood, rocks and air plants. The apartment has become a catalog of the couple’s travels — a pillow and rug from Istanbul, a photograph taken in New Zealand — with each object carefully chosen as a reminder of an adventure. Thank you, Jennifer and Steve, and a big thank you to Lena Corwin for the styling and the lovely photographs. — Amy Azzarito

Image above: I made the piece hanging from the doorknob out of wool roving and feathers. It was in part inspired by Ashley Helvey’s beautiful wool dreamcatchers.

Image above: We only have enough space for a small round dining table, and this Saarinen reproduction fit perfectly. Behind the table is a painting of mine from my graduate thesis exhibition on the only wall large enough in our apartment to hang it.

The full home tour continues after the jump . . .

Image above: We brought the pillow on the right back from a trip to Istanbul. It’s made from an old kilim rug. I flipped through stacks and stacks of pillowcases in the Grand Bazaar before choosing this one.

Image above: This is my reading corner where I have morning coffee. We hung large mirrors on opposite sides of our window to brighten up the area.

Image above: My friend Nicolette is a floral designer and brought me this Staghorn Fern one day after I’d admired the one in her sneak peek. The teak sideboard is a hand-me-down from my parents. I love how it has finger holes for sliding open the doors. The record player is new, but we like to play old records. Our collection is pretty small, but I sneak a record or two out of my parents’ collection whenever I have the chance.

Image above: We bought the antique rug in Istanbul after being charmed by a rug dealer over Turkish tea. I tend to lean toward neutral things, but I love the colors in this rug.

Image above: We recently renovated the kitchen by tearing out the original black tile backsplash and replacing it with honed marble. It’s delicate, but it really brightens up our small kitchen. We received the Le Creuset Dutch oven as a wedding gift, and we use it so much it has a permanent home on our stovetop.

Image above: I hang my necklaces on the wall to keep them from tangling when they’re not being worn. It’s functional, but it also makes an interesting display that’s constantly changing.

Image above: This is the landing area where we keep all of our wooly hats and mittens. My friend Jenny of Wiksten knitted the beautiful marled navy scarf on top. We found the bench at the Brooklyn Flea, made by a furniture maker who works out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Image above: I took this photograph when we were sailing through the fjords in New Zealand and had it printed it as a poster to hide an unattractive electrical panel.

I love the muted tones with the incorporation of natural materials and objects – it feels like a perpetual vacation. There’s a lovely tribute to Eva Zeisel in here as well, which is very timely. (The top shelf serveware.)

The paint color in the living room/kitchen/entry is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter and the color on the bedroom wall is Benjamin Moore Dolphin. The little hallway with the accordion rack is painted with Farrow & Ball’s Mizzle.

My favorite house tour yet. Love all of the tribal pillows and LOVE the large painting you did in the dining room. I am going to steal your idea of adding large mirrors by windows to brighten our dim dining room! Thanks for sharing.

Ah…..SO happy & excited to see lovely & darling Jennifer’s home here. I adore her, her jewelry and no surprise that her home is as elegant, thoughtful, lovely and serene as she is. So happy to know her, wear her gorgeous pieces and call her friend. Thanks for this!
xo
Melis

I love this look…it’s simple, but interesting at the same time. Everything has its place–like the items in the open shelving in the kitchen. A perfect mix and white, natural and wood…and the ever changing jewelry display…brilliant.

Jeni and Steve…your apartment truly has panache. Cool grays become warm and inviting when they’re turned into taupey tones. Of course the gorgeous coral and aqua add splashes of fun to the organic peaceful surroundings. I recommend BMoore Revere Pewter all the time. Dolphin (gray) from the Affinity color group is just 1 of many fabulous colors, including other warm neutral grays. Such a peaceful and serene atmosphere…lovely. Love you both!

What a crazy small world this is–my fiance, Kevin, went to high school with Jennifer’s brother! Jennifer, I’ve never met you but your home is lovely and your jewelry line is so inspiring and beautiful :)

I am in love with this entire apartment, everything. i love love love the bedroom linens and i love the color palette. Honestly, i just want to move right in, and bring my little jack russell. Seriously tho, so beautiful, i love your jewelry and your home, thank you for sharing, – with love, briana

This is beautiful! We are about to move into a new Brooklyn place and it’s such a relief to know it’s possible to add tons of personal, eclectic character to new bones. Can you please share where you found the bedroom curtains? They’re perfect.

LOVE! I contacted Jennifer via email a few weeks back because I saw a single picture of her bedroom and wanted to know (1) where she got her wall lamps and (2) if there were any more pictures of her home I could see. She was so sweet and responsive. I bought the lamps (on sale even!) and I eagerly checked here every Monday to see if her home was featured (she told me it would be soon). I’m so glad I did….the home is such an inspiration!

I have one of her necklaces! About four years ago my mom and I found her at a market downtown, and I fell in love with the jellyfish necklace in the photo with all the necklaces on the wall. It appeared under the christmas tree that year and is still one of my most beloved pieces of jewelry. Thank you so much for this! Beautiful!

A few notes to answer some of your questions:
The rug in the entryway is by chilewich
Record player is by pro-ject RPM
Soap dispenser in the bathroom is from target
We had the curtains made from natural linen lined with blackout material.
The curtain rod and rings are from west elm and so is the floor lamp by the armchair

Such a gorgeous space, it is going straight to my inspiration folder. It is such a great lesson in keeping neutrals interesting. I have a staghorn fern, but never thought to mount it on the wall like that – any tips on how to do it? Thanks so much for letting us into your home!

What a beautiful and peaceful space. I love that grey allows all your other treasures to stand out. A perfect backdrop to you amazing jewelry! May I ask where you found for sink basin and fixtures. It is exactly what I have been looking for (and would fit the space) for our bathroom that we are tackling next. I would GREATLY appreciate it!

The simple use of the Xeographica on the coffee table is gorgeous! And the Staghorn on the wall.. Designing with Bromeliads and air plants is such joy – they are the most versatile and always make a statement.

Hello Jennifer,
big fan of your jewellery, and nice to see a bit of your very serene house. Beautiful!
Would you be able to tell me what kind of record player you have? The one pictured in the photograph with your parents teak sideboard. Thank you in advance, and looking forward to your SS12 collection.

I am deciding colours for my new home.
I love the colour throughout and the grey-green at the sleeping room.
I would love to know which colours are them, specially the one throughout since looks different depending on the light.
Are the doors and skirting board completely white? or do they have any colour?

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